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Goodell lauds replacement refs

WASHINGTON -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded replacement officials Wednesday. He also said he looks forward to meeting with four current or former New Orleans Saints whose bounty suspensions were

Goodell lauds replacement refs

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks with congressional staffers after attending a meeting with Army Vice Chief of Staff Lloyd Austin III and Members of Congress to discuss TBI on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 12, 2012. Goodell also addressed the replacement officials, saying they did a credible job in Week 1.(Photo: Joshua Roberts for USA TODAY)

WASHINGTON -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded replacement officials Wednesday. He also said he looks forward to meeting with four current or former New Orleans Saints whose bounty suspensions were temporarily overturned.

ESPN reported Wednesday night the meeting will take place Tuesday.

Goodell was meeting with military and Congressional leaders to discuss a joint effort on concussion treatment and prevention. Afterward, he took questions from the media on other hot-button issues.

The regular officials are locked out without a contract. The league heads into its second week with replacements.

"Unfortunately, there haven't been any discussions (with the officials' union) lately," Goodell said.

On the first weekend, the replacements had their ups and downs. Can the league stick with them?

"We believe we can. They did a very credible job, and they're only going to get better," Goodell said.

But Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn't so flattering. In his weekly radio appearance on WAUK-AM in Milwaukee Wednesday, he said he wants the officials to know the rules. He said there were "bizarre" calls during the Packers' loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

"It's just frustrating when you're positive that there's either a missed call, or that the rule was not interpreted the way that it's supposed to be interpreted," Rodgers said. "There were multiple instances of that, and when you watch the film back, it's frustrating. That being said, there were just some bizarre calls on both sides."

Goodell also addressed the bounty suspensions. Last week, a three-member panel formed via the NFL collective bargaining agreement overturned the suspensions of four players in the Saints' bounty scandal. That included a full-season suspension of Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who has filed a defamation of character lawsuit against Goodell. That is likely to be on the table when the two meet.

The panel sent the suspensions back to Goodell for reconsideration, ruling it wasn't clear how much the penalties were based on conduct or how much they were based on allegedly receiving cash payments in violation of the salary cap for sidelining opponents.

The panel said issues related to the salary cap should be decided by an arbitrator, not Goodell.

Goodell said he will meet with the players on an unspecified date.

"We've offered once again to bring the players in so they can share their perspective," Goodell said. "It appears they're going to do that. It will give us, hopefully, more information, and I will follow the panel's direction."

Former Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove (now a free agent) was suspended for eight games. Linebacker Scott Fujita (now with the Cleveland Browns) was suspended three games. Saints defensive Will Smith was suspended four games.

How were the suspensions decided the first time around by Goodell?

"I'd like to wait and respect the panel's decision and make that clear when we have more information, including hopefully the players coming in," Goodell said.

Goodell met on Capitol Hill to discuss concussions with military leaders and members of the Military Veterans Caucus from the House of Representatives.

The NFL faces more than 140 lawsuits by more than 3,000 former players, who allege that for decades the league failed to protect players from concussions and ignored their long-term effects.

The partnership between the league, Congress and the military would involve sharing research, methods of diagnosing concussions, protective equipment and treatment.

"We can work together to make our troops safer, sports safer and society safer," Goodell said.